Historical Context
This family in Maycomb pays Atticus with crops instead of cash, reflecting the agricultural hardships of the Depression era.
Who are the Maycombs?
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." This is what Atticus is teaching Scout about.
What is empathy (or perspective-taking/understanding others)?
This type of courage involves standing up for what is right despite social consequences and personal risk.
What is moral courage?
This is the narrative point of view Harper Lee uses in To Kill a Mockingbird, with Scout as the narrator.
What is first-person point of view?
In the phrase "Miss Maudie's benevolence extended to Jem and Dill," the words "we reaped the benefits" help clarify that benevolence means this.
What is kindness and generosity?
The Cunninghams maintain this quality by refusing charity and paying their debts with what they have, even during extreme poverty.
What is dignity (or pride)?
According to Atticus, Scout should apply his advice about perspective-taking to these types of people in her life.
Who is everyone (or all people she encounters, including Walter Cunningham, Boo Radley, Miss Caroline, etc.)?
When Jem retrieves his pants from the Radley fence, he shows personal courage, but his motivation is mainly this rather than moral principle.
What is avoiding punishment (or not wanting to disappoint Atticus)?
Scout's first-person narration provides readers with direct access to these two aspects of her experience.
What are her thoughts and feelings (or her perspective/inner voice)?
When Uncle Jack puts his hands on his hips, looks down at Scout, and calls her behavior "obstreperous, disorderly and abusive," the body language and tone reveal that obstreperous means this.
What is troublesome (or unruly/badly behaved)?
This natural disaster during the Great Depression affected farmers in the Great Plains, causing massive dust storms and crop failures.
What is the dust bowl?
"Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win." Atticus says this to explain why he will defend this person.
Who is Tom Robinson?
Atticus's decision to defend Tom Robinson demonstrates this quality because he continues despite facing certain defeat and community disapproval.
What is moral courage (or integrity/commitment to justice)?
When Scout reflects on Atticus's advice about understanding others' perspectives, it shows she is beginning to grasp this complex concept, even though she struggles to apply it.
What is empathy (or perspective-taking)?
Harper Lee's use of this type of language makes the story feel authentic to its Alabama setting and time period.
What is Southern dialect (or regional dialect)?
These New Deal programs (like the CCC and WPA) were designed to provide this type of assistance to struggling families during the Depression.
What is government employment/work programs (or relief programs)?
This is what Atticus considers "real courage" according to his explanation about Mrs. Dubose—it's when you fight even when you know this.
What is "you're licked before you begin" (or you know you'll lose/fail)?
Although Mrs. Dubose insults Atticus and provokes the children, Atticus later reveals she was brave because she was fighting this during her final days.
What is morphine addiction (or her illness)?
The combination of Scout's innocent child narrator voice with serious themes of prejudice creates this effect on readers.
What is making the prejudice more jarring/shocking (or forcing readers to confront bigotry in a familiar setting)?
When analyzing vocabulary in context, students must look at these elements together: the word itself, surrounding phrases, tone, and this other important element demonstrated in the Uncle Jack passage.
What is body language (or nonverbal cues/character actions)?